The $9 ticket includes admission, glass mug, and one free glass of beer, wine or root beer. Designated drivers receive a free non-alcoholic beverage.

Participating are Dragonmead microbrewery and Kuhnhenn Brewery Co. If you come hungry, you can buy ribs, pulled pork, brisket, chicken, turkey and handcut french fries from the popular Detroit BBQ Company.

Live entertainment by 80s Inc. will round out the night.

Free parking is at the museum and Ford Field Park. There is a free shuttle service to and from Ford Field.

Get your tickets at the McFadden Ross House, City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, Double Olive, and at the door. All proceeds will benefit the Dearborn Historical Museum.

Business interested in sponsorships of this unique event, and anyone looking for more information, can call the Museum at 565-3000.

The free annual event takes place Aug. 2-4 at Ford Field Park, 22051 Cherry Hill.

The City of Dearborn is again joining with the nonprofit Dearborn Community Fund in organizing the festival, which is a major fundraiser for more than two dozen Dearborn-based nonprofit groups. The presenting sponsor is once again Oakwood Healthcare.

Homecoming is known for its free, outstanding live entertainment on three stages, with a blockbuster headline act on Saturday.

In 2012, the five-man Blues Traveler, fronted by original singer/harmonica player/guitarist John Popper, released its 11th studio album, Suzie Cracks the Whip. The band gained mainstream exposure after an early 1990s appearance on David Letterman’s late-night talk show and has since made more appearances there than any musical artist. Letterman band leader Paul Shaffer has played on several Blues Traveler recordings.

The group founded the H.O.R.D.E. (Horizons o

Blues Traveler will headline this year’s Dearborn Homecoming.

f Rock Developing Everywhere) Festival in 1992 with other jam bands (groups whose live and recorded performances have roots in a fan culture that originated in the 1960s with The Grateful Dead and whose performances include extended musical improvisation), appeared at Woodstock ’94 and later became an opening act for the Rolling Stones.

Formed in 1987 in Princeton , N.J. , the band continues to play an average 250 shows a year.

Taking the Main Stage at 8p.m. Friday is metro Detroit’s own Annabelle Road, a Homecoming favorite.

Led by singer Amanda Bailey, the quartet has toured with Clint Black, played Detroit ‘s Downtown Hoedown with Zac Brown and Willie Nelson, and opened shows for Gretchen Wilson, Dierks Bentley and John Rich.

Performing Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on the Main Stage is Papa Doo Run Run, which calls itself America’s Music – California’s Band. The group focuses on Beach Boys songs and recently played at Dearborn’s Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. Formed in 1965, the band has toured with surf music icons Jan & Dean and the Beach Boys and performed for 15 years as the celebrity house band at Disneyland.

The West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority hosts Friday Nites in the Park in the Bryant Library’s Muirhead Plaza, 22100 Michigan Ave. The rain alternate location will be at the Henry Ford Centennial Library at 16301 Michigan Ave.

All concerts are 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Here is the schedule for downtown west Dearborn:

• June 14: Byron in Motion, 70s and 80s favorites

• June 28: Teen Angels, 50s & 60s review

• July 12: Carl Cafagna and friends, smooth jazz

• July 26: Big Will and the 360 band, rock and Latin jazz

• August 9: Big Band Memories, sounds of the Big Band era

• August 23: Beat Club, Beatles Tribute Band

For more information on the WDDDA’s concerts,  click HERE

The East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority’s series starts July 10 and brings back popular jazz musicians to City Hall Park at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Schaefer on Wednesdays in July and August.

Food from local restaurants will be available for purchase on site at the park again this year for your convenience.

All concerts are 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The 2013 Jazz on the Ave schedule is:

• July 10: Alexander Zonjic & Friends

• July 17: Joe McBride, pianist

• July 24: Randy Scott, saxophonist

• July 31: Matt Marshak, with Deon Yates opening

• August 7: Walter White & Small Medium@LargeBand

• August 14: Alexander Zonjic’s All-Star Jam

For more information on the EDDDA’s concerts, click HERE.

Friday kicks off the block party with Junction Groove and The Infatuations. The first night will feature a Food Truck Rally. Saturday features Kaleido, Kemical Punkch and Various DJs spinning tunes on a separate stage right off Michigan Avenue.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Dearborn Firefighters Burn Drive and the Dearborn Education Foundation.

All ages are welcome. Friday and Saturday evening parties run from 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. The block party is centered on Mason Street between Michigan Avenue and West Village Drive, as well as in the main parking lot behind Bailey’s Pub and Grill.

Sponsors for the block party include: Village Ford, Eastown Distributors, Westborn Market, Bailey’s Pub and Grill, Salon West, Double Olive, Yogurt Town, Iversens Bakery, Ciao, Organo Gold, The Well, Moose’s Martini and LAX Limousine.

Henry Ford’s Fair Lane – 150 Years will debut in the Rotunda Lobby of the Henry Ford Centennial Library on April 18. The exhibit runs through May 10.

An art exhibit opening in April will pay tribute to Dearborn’s most notable former resident, and his beloved home.

Henry Ford’s Fair Lane – 150 Years will debut in the Rotunda Lobby of the Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Avenue, on April 18.

The exhibit honors Henry Ford—who would have celebrated his 150th birthday on July 31, 2013—as well as his wife, Clara.

The showcase will feature works created by members of the Artists’ Society of Dearborn (ASD) and inspired by the Fair Lane Estate. The estate, a National Historic Landmark, was built in 1909.

According to ASD President and local photographer Teresa Lousias, the works were created at the request of former Estate Curator Susan McCabe, who approached the society in April of last year regarding a tribute to the Fords.

“The ASD accepted this challenge to create their own interpretation by visiting the inside of the estate,” Lousias said. “We were able to photograph and sketch the interior.”

Also included in this exhibit will be some past works by the society focusing on the Model T, the estate, and its grounds and gardens.

An opening reception will be 6-8 p.m. on April 18 in the HFCL Rotunda Lobby, and is free and open to the public.

Attendees will be able to view a video history of the Fair Lane Estate, as well as Henry and Clara Ford.

A program will begin at 7 p.m. Speakers will include Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr.; Edsel and Eleanor Ford House Vice President of Collections and Visitor Experience Mark Heppner; Artists’ Society of Dearborn President Teresa Lousias; Dearborn Public Library Director Maryanne Bartles; and Edsel and Eleanor Ford House President Kathleen Mullins.

Refreshments will be provided by the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House.

The exhibit will continue through May 10.

Artworks at the show, created by the society’s 40 members, will include photographs, drawings, paintings and three-dimensional pieces. All works will be for sale.

“It is our pleasure to create an exhibit for Henry Ford—one of the most prominent citizens of the City of Dearborn,” Lousias said.

The Artists’ Society of Dearborn is a 40-member group that works toward promoting the arts and local artists in the city. Formed in 1949, members include painters, pen and ink artists, photographers, wood carvers, sculptors, fabric designers, quilt makers, and jewelry and tile makers.

This alliance, called RANDOM ACTS OF THEATRE, will allow DATA to produce a full evening of entertainment in Studio A at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, at 8 p.m. on Sept. 6 and 7, 2013.

The collaborative evening of performance provides an opportunity for the many talented people in the Dearborn and Dearborn Heights area to work together to showcase the accomplished and skilled artisans in the Dearborn and Dearborn Heights community.

Designed as a way to engage as many talented directors, actors and production staff as possible, RANDOM ACTS OF THEATRE will feature a variety of one-act plays and Reader’s Theatre in a two-hour time frame.

First up is a call for interested directors.

DATA is asking that any adult from the Dearborn / Dearborn Heights area who would like direct a 10- to 15-minute performance for the show, to log on to the DATA website at dearbornareatheatre.org, review production rules, download an application and submit it to the production committee by April 15, 2013. Directors must have a script in mind when submitting an application. Director interviews will take place in May.

DATA also is seeking candidates to fill technical theater positions. Candidates should submit their letter of interest, along with a brief resume copy, to pritchardkj@gmail.com by May 1, 2013. Production staff should have availability in late July and August.

Actors, ages 18 and up, are encouraged to attend open auditions in June. The audition date will be announced and posted in May, along with role descriptions and parts available, on the DATA website. All actors will be asked to fill in an audition form, which will include a brief resume. Actors and production staff must be available during the summer to rehearse and prepare for the performance.

For more information about RANDOM ACTS OF THEATRE, visit dearbornareatheatre.org or call the Dearborn Community Fund at 313-943-5478.

You won’t have to go far for a few laughs when Dearborn opens the Studio A Comedy Club at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center on Friday, Dec. 7.

The Studio A Comedy Club will feature locally and nationally known comedians on most Friday and Saturday nights through February. Shows will be at 8 and 10 p.m. and are value-priced.

Beer, wine, soft drinks and a variety of mixed drinks will be available for purchase, as will light appetizers, such as buffalo-style chicken wings, pizza squares, Swedish meatballs and a fruit and cheese plate.

Headliner Steven McGrew, along with Frank G., will be the featured performers on Dec. 7-8.

The remaining December schedule for the Studio A Comedy Club features Ruben Paul with David Beck on Dec. 14-15, Mike Green with Stu McCallister on Dec. 21-22, and Tommy Savitt with Cory Hall on Dec. 28.

Tickets for the Studio A Comedy Club are $15 a person. Patrons must be aged 21 and over.

The Studio A Comedy Club will also host a pair of special New Year’s Eve shows, headlined by Mike Bonner and featuring Ron Sweet.

Tickets for the New Year’s Eve shows are $25 for the 8 p.m. performance and $40 for the 10:30 p.m. presentation. The latter ticket includes party favors and a champagne toast.

Tickets for all Studio A Comedy Club performances are available at the door, as well as in advance at the Michael A. Guido Theater ticket box office, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Purchase online at www.dearborntheater.com.

For further information, call 313-943-2354.

“The Dance of Bliss” sculpture by Mike Sohikian is installed in the West Village Plaza Court Yard next to Starbucks. Constructed from steel and concrete, “The Dance of Bliss” stands about six feet high and is priced for sale at $7,500.

Twelve sculptures have been placed throughout Dearborn as part of the community’s 2012-2013 Art in Public Places – Midwest Sculpture Initiative (MSI).

Funding for the project is provided by the Dearborn Community Fund and the East and West Dearborn Downtown Development Authorities. Each month a different sculpture and sculptor are highlighted.

“The Dance of Bliss” by Mike Sohikian is the featured sculpture for December. The sculpture is installed in the West Village Plaza Court Yard next to Starbucks. Constructed from steel and concrete, “The Dance of Bliss” stands about six feet high and is priced for sale at $7,500.

A retired ironworker, Sohikian always loved art but didn’t start his own career as an artist until 1995. He frequently draws inspiration for his work from literature and the work of other famous artists and is best known for creating innovative pieces from salvaged steel incorporating other industrial type materials, like concrete, in to the designs. The end results reveal fascinating forms that frequently embody an air of whimsy coupled with strength conveyed through the very materials used to create the piece.

Dearborn has hosted Sohikian’s work in the past. His “Guerrero” was installed at the theater entrance to the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center for the 2010-2011 sculpture initiative, and in 2011-2012, his “Eight Horse Power” sculpture could be seen on the Dearborn Historical Museum grounds located at Michigan Avenue and Brady. Besides Dearborn, Sohikian’s work has been exhibited throughout Michigan and Ohio. He has won numerous prestigious awards and recognition, and his work can be found in over 400 art collections nationwide.

A video about “The Dance of Bliss” sculpture will air on Dearborn cable television during December and can be viewed online at www.cdtv.pegcentral.com/.

“I Spy Dearborn’s Art in Public Places” cards, which include photos and locations for the 12 MSI sculptures and two Pockets of Perception pieces, are available upon request or on the Dearborn Community Fund web page at www.dearborncommunityfund.org.

For more information on Dearborn’s 2012-2013 Art in Public Places Midwest Sculpture Initiative, including information about purchasing the sculptures, contact the Dearborn Community Fund office at 313-943-5478

To reserve a seat, please call the theater box office at 943-2354.

The largest and most versatile unit of the United States Air Force Band of Flight, the Concert Band will present “On Tour,” featuring a variety of new and well-known works, including marches, vocal selections and patriotic music.

The performance will spotlight an arrangement by Tech. Sgt. Scott Wise, a Quincy, Mich., native and Interlochen Arts Academy graduate. A live narrator will read excerpts from a 1940 radio broadcast by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during Sergeant Wise’s composition, “The Arsenal of Democracy,” which tells the story of Detroit and the United State’s industrial contributions to European allies during World War II.

The United States Air Force Band of Flight is one of 12 bands in the Air Force. The band’s purpose is to support the global Air Force mission in war and peace by fostering the national heritage and by providing professional musical products and services for official military, recruiting and community relations events.

For more information about this and other performances by the United States Air Force Band of Flight, please visit www.bandofflight.af.mil.

The dedication for a new playscape for Morningside Park in southeast Dearborn was attended by  Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., Severstal’s Vice President Bruce Black and assistant Judy Young; Dearborn Community Fund chair Karen Nigosian and Exec. Dir. EmmaJean Woodyard; Dearborn Recreation Commission Chair Johanna Seidel and Commissioner Louie Moussa; Dearborn Commission on Disability Concerns member Gary Filiak; and City of Dearborn Department of Recreation & Parks Director Gregory Orner and Deputy Directory Eric Peterson.

Children who play at Dearborn’s Morningside Park are enjoying a new playscape thanks to employees of Dearborn-based Severstal North America who pitched in with their employer and collaborated with the non-profit Dearborn Community Fund to purchase new playground equipment.

The $15,000 donation to purchase the playscape, complete with slides and a mini climbing wall, included $8,450 that employees raised through raffle ticket sales at Severstal’s open house last fall. The company contributed an additional $6,550 to fund the purchase of the playground equipment which is compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.

Morningside Park is nestled in a residential community on Morningside Ave. near Wyoming St. in southeast Dearborn. Every day, dozens of children and their families visit the park which is maintained by the City of Dearborn’s Department of Recreation and Parks.

Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., joined Severstal Dearborn’s Vice President and General Manager, Bruce Black, Dearborn Community Fund Board Chair Karen Nigosian, Morningstar neighborhood residents, and members of the City’s Recreation Commission, on September 17 to dedicate the new playscape. At the ceremony, Mayor O’Reilly thanked Severstal and its employees for their continued support of the Dearborn community.

Severstal worked with the Dearborn Community Fund (DCF) to organize their fundraising raffle, determine how the funds they raised could be used to benefit the community, and order the playground equipment.

Working closely with other organizations and the City of Dearborn, the DCF raises funds and organizes volunteer support for arts, cultural and recreational programs that enhance the quality of life in Dearborn.

For more information about the Dearborn Community Fund, click HERE or call Executive Director EmmaJean Woodyard at 313-943-5478.